Centre finally lets Uttarakhand use locally made oxygen to meet state quota

Uttarakhand had been requesting the Centre to let it meet its oxygen requirement from its own generation capacity, which it claims exceeds the state’s quota.

Updated on: May 26, 2021, 11:18:13 IST

By Neeraj Santoshi

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The Centre has finally allowed Uttarakhand to use medical oxygen generated in the state for treatment of Covid-19 patients and also raised its oxygen quota following the high court’s intervention after several requests by the state government remained unanswered, a senior state official announced on Tuesday evening.

Uttarakhand reported 2,756 fresh Covid cases on Tuesday, taking the state’s infection tally to 318,346. (PTI Photo)

Uttarakhand’s oxygen quota has been raised from 183 metric tonnes to 200 MT and the hill state is now under no obligation to procure oxygen from Jharkhand and West Bengal as was mandated by the Centre, said Amit Negi, secretary state health department.

Uttarakhand was earlier granted a quota of 183 metric tonnes (MT) of oxygen, including 60 MT to be imported daily from Jamshedpur and Durgapur in Jharkhand and West Bengal, respectively. Uttarakhand had been requesting the Centre to let it meet its oxygen requirement from its own generation capacity, which easily exceeds the state’s quota. Negi said the state had set up 11 oxygen generation plants so far and more were being set up at district and sub-district levels.

Earlier this month, the state government told high court that it had written to the Centre requesting an increase in oxygen quota, medical equipment such as oxygen concentrators, cylinders, and pressure swing adsorption plants, apart from permission to use medical oxygen generated locally, since its procurement from Jharkhand and Bengal, as per the existing quota arrangement, posed logistical challenges in maintaining its constant supply to far flung areas.

The court asked the Centre to decide on the matter within a week, while expressing surprise at the Centre’s alleged “studied silence” over the issues and added that it was the Centre’s constitutional duty to come to the aid of state governments.

Uttarakhand reported 2,756 fresh Covid cases on Tuesday, taking the state’s infection tally to 318,346. It also reported deaths of 80 Covid patients, taking the death toll in the state to 6,020.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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